Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Two-Candidate Republican Presidential Race?

Ben Carson dropped out. The retired neurosurgeon never got the hang of political campaigning.

Trump, Cruz, Rubio and Kasich remain in the race, the latter two stumbling along, faring poorly in primaries and caucuses so far - perhaps set to drop out before March ends or shortly thereafter.

The race is down to real estate tycoon Trump v. neocon Cruz. The former Texas solicitor general upset Lt. Governor David Dewhurst in the July 2012 primary runoff, then defeated state Rep. Paul Sadler in November to become to become the first Texas Latino senator - with Tea Party backing.

He’s being sued over his Calgary, Canadian birth to an American mother and Cuban father, challenging his claim about being a “natural-born citizen.”

In late February, Trump tweeted “(w)hy would Texans vote for ‘liar’ Cruz when he was born in Canada, lived there for 4 years and remained a Canadian citizen until recently?”

So far he hasn’t followed up on his threat to sue Cruz over his ineligibility to run for the nation’s highest office. Maybe Democrats will if he heads the Republican ticket in November.

He’s ideologically hardline, way over-the-top, a Christian fascist pro-war lunatic naturalized citizen - red meat for Clinton if he manages to overcome Trump’s huge delegate lead, assuring her an easy November victory. Sanders has virtually no chance to be Democrat party presidential nominee.

Trump so far looks unstoppable. Key upcoming primaries will show if he’s able to maintain momentum. He inherited wealth from his father, jump-starting his real estate career, benefitting greatly from federal help.

He perpetuates the myth of a self-made man. As of March 2016, Forbes estimates his net worth at $4.5 billion.

Republican party bosses are desperate to stop him. Media scoundrels bash him relentlessly.

The New York Times reports “(o)utside groups” are set to spend millions of dollars in attack ads ahead of key upcoming primaries, “casting (him) as a liberal, a huckster and a draft dodger.”

Perhaps electoral rigging is planned, notably in Michigan, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois, key upcoming primaries - Pennsylvania, New York and California still ahead.

Each electoral cycle, the race for the White House is farcical. Among aspirants competing during primary season, legitimate voter choices are none of the above.

No one represents their rights and interests. Campaign rhetoric is meaningless - promises made to be broken.

The same scenario repeats every four years, and during off-year elections for congressional and other seats alone.

Money-controlled duopoly power runs America, a one-party state with two wings, independents entirely shut out, voters having no say whatever.

Electoral cycles are theater without substance. Outcomes are predictable, the same every time, voters consistently swindled.

America was never a democracy, for sure not now.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.